I understand that smoking while on HRT is incredibly dangerous due to the increased likelyhood of blood clots, but would it be okay/less dangerous to smoke while on HRT if you're making an effort to reduce the chance of blood clots in the first place? Would that balance it out and make it a little safer?
Also, would it be okay to use E-cigarettes, or is it the nicotine that causes blood clots?
I'm only asking this because I will be returning to university in September, and I'll be far more tempted to smoke, so I was just hoping that there would be a way for me to continue smoking.
Just don't do it. Apart from the health risks - and I don't just mean clotting. It also makes you smell, is unattractive and will give your mouth the flavour of an ashtray.. And you don't see people kissing ashtrays..
Vaping does not have the tars and carbon monoxide. Also it does not have the other chemicals in it.
I have been vaping for almost a month now, and I have not had a cigarette.
Smoking is just a habit, something to keep your hands busy. If you can break it now (for any reason) your better off for it in the long run.
Anyway, its Expensive, just think of all the money you can save by not smoking.
Smoking is part habit and part addiction. Nicotine is harder to kick than heroin. And Sarah is correct, if you can quit it now, you are much better off. I started when I was 13, and now I am almost 59.
I tried vaping for a while before, but then I ran out of cartridges and money, then when I got money coming in again, I just went back to smoking. Now I'm not sure if I should get more cartridges or just buy more E-liquid, or if i should invest in a kit to make my own E-liquids at home. I'm not sure which is cheapest, but from what I've heard, making your own E-liquids is supposed to be cheaper than other methods, but I don't have a clue how to do it, and it's probably far too complicated for me anyway.
Besides the health risks you should really try to quit. I started smoking when I was 14 and quit when I was 30. I can tell you it was the best I have ever done for myself besides starting transitioning. Yeah I could go on and on about cancer and all the other bad things about smoking. But I know you have already heard that before. I just going to say if you do quit you won't regret it for a moment. :)
I buy my ecigs and liquids direct from China. It's so cheap it's not worth mixing. I've been buying from them for a year and they're reliable. If you want I'll pm you the website and whats best to buy.
Quote from: sandrauk on March 14, 2013, 04:33:18 PM
I buy my ecigs and liquids direct from China. It's so cheap it's not worth mixing. I've been buying from them for a year and they're reliable. If you want I'll pm you the website and whats best to buy.
That would be great, I hope the postage isn't high seeing as it's coming all the way from China.
pm sent
Lets put this into perspective.
You want to make the biggest body change that anyone goes through.
You want to be you after hiding for a life.
Smoking will stop this, as many endocrinologists will prevent or strongly suggest that you will not go on HRT if you smoke.
Make the decision.
It isn't that hard to make the decision. Well for me it wasn't
I smoked from age 16-35.
Depends what you want in life. Always your choice.
C
Quote from: Kelly the Trans-Rebel on March 14, 2013, 11:27:38 AM
Just don't do it. Apart from the health risks - and I don't just mean clotting. It also makes you smell, is unattractive and will give your mouth the flavour of an ashtray.. And you don't see people kissing ashtrays..
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1266.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fjj525%2FCEST2%2Fimage-3_zps11cf9c96.jpg&hash=3eb51e1ce44667a176ba8cc8d7763355b8a5dda6)
YUCK !!!!!
Catherine
Not to be pedantic... but if people don't kiss ashtrays, how can you know what one tastes like to compare to kissing a smoker? ::)
OP, I can't say for sure that nicotine has NO risk increase of blood clots, but I can say nicotine in isolation is much much safer than smoking tobacco.
Personally I kinda think the 'never smoked' people should stay out of the smoking threads, at least don't preach in them, I mean no offense guys but what would you know? Anyway there's plenty of people like Cindy who're happy to preach and at least know from experience what nicotine addiction is like.
Quote from: Asfsd4214 on March 16, 2013, 01:24:37 AM
Not to be pedantic... but if people don't kiss ashtrays, how can you know what one tastes like to compare to kissing a smoker? ::)
OP, I can't say for sure that nicotine has NO risk increase of blood clots, but I can say nicotine in isolation is much much safer than smoking tobacco.
Personally I kinda think the 'never smoked' people should stay out of the smoking threads, at least don't preach in them, I mean no offense guys but what would you know? Anyway there's plenty of people like Cindy who're happy to preach and at least know from experience what nicotine addiction is like.
I'm a former smoker. Smoked aged 14 to 34. Quitting was hard, very hard.. And I've fallen off the wagon a few times, but I always get back on it. Quitting amphetamines was easier.
Quote from: Kelly the Trans-Rebel on March 16, 2013, 01:28:01 AM
I'm a former smoker. Smoked aged 14 to 34. Quitting was hard, very hard.. And I've fallen off the wagon a few times, but I always get back on it. Quitting amphetamines was easier.
I'm sorry if you thought I was addressing you specifically. I was speaking generally. Good job on quitting.
Quote from: Asfsd4214 on March 16, 2013, 03:25:33 AM
I'm sorry if you thought I was addressing you specifically. I was speaking generally. Good job on quitting.
No apologies required.. I realised that my post sounded a bit like a post from someone that never smoked, so I thought I'd add that I was a smoker..
My gyno told me she would not prescribe while I was a smoker - and she didn't care whether it was traditional cigarettes or some other nicotine delivery device..
Quote from: Ms. OBrien VT on March 14, 2013, 11:44:03 AM
Smoking is part habit and part addiction. Nicotine is harder to kick than heroin. And Sarah is correct, if you can quit it now, you are much better off. I started when I was 13, and now I am almost 59.
:o :o :o
You look so much younger! Holy cow
Also, vape club going on 12 months! I just recently dropped nicotine in the liquids a few weeks ago ;D
What is your favorite flavor? At the moment, mine is Hawaii Sunset by RAWR
Quote from: Kelly the Trans-Rebel on March 16, 2013, 03:34:27 AM
No apologies required.. I realised that my post sounded a bit like a post from someone that never smoked, so I thought I'd add that I was a smoker..
My gyno told me she would not prescribe while I was a smoker - and she didn't care whether it was traditional cigarettes or some other nicotine delivery device..
Sounds like your gyno and I would have some.... disagreements on the subject of personal freedoms and responsibility.
All the more reason I consider doctors little more than pawns for me to use for my own benefit rather than advocates looking out for my health as a team. I won't be on a team who's only life it affects is me unless I am in charge of said team, since I have yet to find a doctor on board with the concept of them not being 'team' leader, I'll just tell them whatever I think they want to hear to get the outcome I want. I wish it weren't that way, but ultimately I care more about myself and my freedom to live my life than I do about some doctors paranoia over their medical license.
And hey, maybe one day that philosophy will burn me and I'll pay for not being more of a team player... but at least when that happens I can say it was my choice. Adults live with their mistakes and choices. Doctors have an annoying habit of treating their patients as if they were children. If I have to live with all the stuff that sucks about being an adult, then I sure as hell won't put up with the stuff that sucks about being a child at the same time. I make my decisions, and if someone stands in my way in matters that are my decision because they're afraid of being held responsible... then I'll take the responsibility out of their hands by deciding what I want them to know or not know, and I sure won't pay them if they don't begin to cooperate or succeed in talking me out of it with reason rather than disrespect.
</rant>
Don't give yourself a fallback plan, like vaping, or you'll never actually quit. The fact is that smoking is a habit and there's no such thing as just one cigarette or weening yourself off of them. There's always going to be another "just this once". The only way to stop it is to stop cold using your own willpower. I know people that quit for over 7 years using things like welbutrin and chantix and even became walking advertisements for them to everybody they met. Then one loss of willpower and they're smokers again. Crutches are only useful when you're using them. Once they're gone, it's just as hard as it was without them. If you don't have the willpower to quit without them, you don't have the willpower to quit.
Also, when I looked into why not smoking was so critical with hormones, it looked like it was the nicotine itself that was the issue, so even the smoking cessation aids like gum and patches wouldn't be a good idea. What I did to quit after probably around 100 failed attempts was to focus on the prize. The one dream I've had my entire life that was finally within my reach. Would I rather be a woman or a smoker? The choice was easy although the nicotine put up quite a fight.
Quote from: Emily Elizabeth on March 16, 2013, 01:24:24 PM
Also, when I looked into why not smoking was so critical with hormones, it looked like it was the nicotine itself that was the issue, so even the smoking cessation aids like gum and patches wouldn't be a good idea.
Could you elaborate further on that?
FYI, e cigarettes even (if they do contain nicotine) do not deliver it any way like a real cigarette. A real cigarette causes the blood nicotine level to surge, hence the instant gratification and head buzz. Also higher blood pressure, increase in pulse, etc.
E cigs, the blood nicotine level is changed very gradual and minimally even for the higher doses. There is no blood pressure change or other risks. I found a really good article on it, I will try to see if I can find it again.
Quote from: Asfsd4214 on March 16, 2013, 01:36:13 PM
Could you elaborate further on that?
Looks like Jenny has more info on this. What I read was talking about the blood pressure being increased from the nicotine itself. Her post indicates that this may not be true of all delivery methods. I'd still be cautious about finding other ways to use it without raising flags. For one thing, you're not really quitting and for another, I'm pretty sure nicotine would show up on a test (if they even check for it) the same way no matter what the delivery method was.
Quote from: TessaM on March 16, 2013, 02:46:33 PM
Nicotine is also proven to cause plaques in your brain which will cause dementia and/or alzheimers down the road.
If your going to smoke or not its your choice. It is unhealthy and unwise to do so.
There is no such thing as a safe way of nicotine delivery. The people who advocate vaporizing give me an honest chuckle
People who talk about "x is a poison" or "science has proven y" give me an honest chuckle. Lets go through this point by point.
http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20120109/nicotine-patch-may-improve-memory-in-pre-dementia-patients (http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20120109/nicotine-patch-may-improve-memory-in-pre-dementia-patients)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16467186 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16467186)
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/09/could-a-nicotine-patch-slow-dementia/ (http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/09/could-a-nicotine-patch-slow-dementia/)
There's plenty of evidence nicotine could have therapeutic use. Much like marijuana, it's politicially incorrect and discouraged to do studies that may yield a result that's politically embarrassing.
Quote from: TessaM on March 16, 2013, 02:46:33 PM
E cigarettes and all those vapo things are still bad for your health. Nicotine is a poison. You can die of nicotine poisoning...
Everything is a poison and everything isn't a poison. You can die from water if you drink too much of it. Botox is a deadly poison, one of the deadliest on the planet, yet we found a therapeutic use for it.
Quote from: TessaM on March 16, 2013, 02:46:33 PM
Nicotine its self causes blood vessels in your body to constrict. This is what causes stroke in smokers (rather, elevates the chances that they will have one). Based on this FACT I think that it would be safe to conclude that smoke or ingesting some sort of silly vapo smoke will have a negative effect on your trasition. Since blood is not flowing as freely in your body as it should, you are not getting the Estrogen to flow as freely as it can in your body.
This is just silly conjecture. It would be slightly less silly to argue that stimulants speed up metabolism and thus lessons serum estradiol levels, but even that would be such a mild effect.
Stimulants are prescribed for health conditions all the time.
There is little evidence one way or the other for the health risks of e-cigs, but it is a highly valid hypothesis that it would be relatively safe, and certainly much safer than smoking tobacco.
And finally, science never 'proves' anything. Science is about creating a reasonable hypothesis to explain an observed phenomenon, testing it, ensuring it's falsifiable, repeatable, scientific method, etc, from which we have a strong scientific theory. But it is not 'proven', it's 'evidence'. Science will never say anything is 'proven' because a fundamental aspect of scientific method is that all theories could be found false with further evidence.
Smoking isn't good for you and I will say that right now, but this is just prohibitionist thinking along the lines of marijuana and "there's no proven health benefits and we don't want you looking for any either". ::)
Here's the article:
http://lstribune.net/lees-summit-news/health/electronic-cigarettes-a-safer-option-for-smokers.htm (http://lstribune.net/lees-summit-news/health/electronic-cigarettes-a-safer-option-for-smokers.htm)
Also I should add, you choose the level of nicotine you want in the e liquid. I've been able to completely work myself off of the stuff. Now it's just fulfilling the oral fixation and it tastes/smells good. Plus I love filling a wine glass with vapor... Very cool ;)
Quote from: TessaM on March 16, 2013, 04:05:25 PM
asfsd4214, are you implying that there are certain therapeutic benefits to nicotine?
Nicotine is terrible. Smoking is harmful. What benefit can one get from tobacco?
Water is poisonous? You NEED water to live... nobody needs nicotine for anything. Botox is a poison yes but the harm done to your body from an injecting to some wrinkles is minute as compared to inhale the toxic poison of a cigarette.
asfsd4214, ive everytime I see one of your posts it seems to be some sort of pro poison er smoking cigarette rant. You have a lot of posts and a good reputation so im assuming youve had your say in other threads however its quite damaging that you would come here and try to justify your addiction and belittle the health benefits of abstaining from cigarettes. I dont want to start an argument with you over the internet about smoking as it will obviously get nowhere... all I have to say is that it is NEVER ok to smoke. When you smoke you are doing damage to yourself. You do not truly enjoy the cigarette... you enjoy crushing your nicotine craving. Are you so weak as to be a slave to nicotine? If you live somewhere with a government healthcare program like me, your health problems are going to be paid by healthy tax payers like me. You will become a burden on the system. A burden to society, your friends, your family, and yourself. Do you want the last years of your life spent struggling to catch a breathe?
Smoking also "Ages" you prematurely. Causes wrinkles. Tooth decay. Hair loss. Nerve damage. Heart problems....
Nicotine ALONE is responsible for a lot of health problems.
Smoke and vaporize all you want. Your lives no mine
annndddd im out of this thread
I am NOT saying smoking tobacco is good for you, in fact I said that quite clearly. What I said was that yes, there IS evidence that nicotine as a chemical SUBSTANCE could have therapeutic uses and that the claim that there is "NO" possible way for nicotine to be used in a non-damaging way is unsubstantiated.
I would never recommend ANYONE start smoking but I'm not going to lecture people about quitting either. And I'm sorry but I'm not going to get on board with a prohibitionist "everything about it is bad and it's an evil toxic poison" attitude when the science doesn't back it up.
There is little evidence of nicotine in isolation causing 'significant' health problems, by significant I mean relative to smoking tobacco, such as cancer and various other health disorders. I'm sure nicotine use as a recreational drug in isolation probably DOES have some form of negative health impact, but it's likely quite mild, probably milder than alcohol as a recreational drug.
As for being a slave to it, well, that's one perspective. I enjoy smoking even though I know it's really bad for me, and I know I should quit and I want to quit and I plan to quit one of these days. But I hardly consider it slavery.
And finally, I've heard the "health care" argument, it would hold a LOT more water if tobacco weren't taxed so sky high. As it stands, those of us who smoke already pay a significant amount of tax for our habit. What that works out to in net economics I don't know, but I doubt you do either.
"It turns out that the chemical that makes tobacco so dangerously addictive, is on its own, pretty harmless to one's health. Nicotine is a compound that our body naturally synthesizes for use in fundamental functions in the cells and brain. It is the combined noxious effects of the other 4,000 toxic chemicals created by burning tobacco that, when inhaled, pollute our system and predispose to cancer, heart disease and premature aging." (http://lstribune.net/lees-summit-news/health/electronic-cigarettes-a-safer-option-for-smokers.htm)